It's an expense nearly everyone puts up with, but experts say there are several ways to save.

"The traditional two-year contract may not be the best choice for value. Initially, you get a big discount on the phone you pick. But, moderate users may be paying a lot more for service compared to a prepaid phone," says Rosalind Tordesillas.

Consumer Reports' staffer Monique Little cut her monthly bill by more than half by switching to a prepaid plan.

"It saves me about $100 a month," Monique Little says.

In a recent survey of more than 58,000 Consumer Reports subscribers, prepaid Straight Talk earned high marks. It advertises unlimited talk, text and data for a 45 bucks a month.

Even if you have a traditional contract, one way to save is to check the bill to make sure you aren't' paying for more data than you use.

Tordesilla says, "Of the people we surveyed with a monthly data allowance, nearly 40 percent reported using no more than half of it."

Burn through your data allowance, rein in those data hogs , streaming video, music and gaming.